Tandem draft gear for railway cars



M. J. MENDEZ.

TANDEM DRAFT GEAR F-OR RAILWAY GARS. APPLICATION FILED 1u1, v11,1921.

$1,427,491. J Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

type of yoke and with front and rains Prn'r cri cs MANUEL J. MENDEZ. 0Y5 MEXICO; MEXICO, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM H. MINER, OE

CEAZY, NEW YORK.

TANDEM DRAFT GEAR, FOB, RAILWAY CARS.

AppIication 'filed July 11,

T 0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, MANUEL J. MnNnnz, a citizen of Mexico, residing at Mexico city, Mexico have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Tandem Draft Gears for Railway Cars; of which the following is a full clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying; drawings, forming apart of this specifica tion.

This invention relates to improvements in tandem draft gears for railway cars.

One object of this inyention'is toprovide an improved tandem draft gear for railway cars which is usable, with a single pocket .rear'sets onlyv of stop or draft lugs.

More specifically the object of my invention is to provide certain improvements in the type of tandem draft gear shown in OConnor Patent No. 1,382,221, granted June .21, 1921. and by means of which im prov'ementsthe parts may be held and shipped in assembled condition; readily inserted in place between the draft lugs of. a car underframe; and the over-all length determined and maintained.

Another specific object of the invention is to provi'de'meansin a tandem gear of the character indicated so arranged that the shock absorbing devices propenbetween the front and rear main followers, may be held centered with respect to the draft sills,

Other objects of theinvention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

' the inner sides thereof front stop lugs 11 and rear stop lugs 12, said lugs being spaced apart the present standard distance of 24?". The rear portion only ofa drawbar is indicated at 13, the same having secured 1921. Serial No. 483,666. 7 p

thereto a yoke 1 1 of the single pocket type.

Specification of'Letters Patent. Pate 1 1 A g; 2a 1922;

nism therewithin are supported inoperative position by means of a detachable saddle plate 25. l

The shock absorbing mechanism proper, as shown, comprises front and r'earm'ain followers 15 and 16; tandem springs AA;- counterpart pressure transmitting v and spring-retaining casings B B; intermediate followers C-C; a central column mem her I); and bolts E--E.

Each of the springs A preferably consists of an outer heavy coil and an inner nested lighter coil, according to well -known practice. f i i Each casing B is of substantially hollow rectangular form throughout its length and is open at each end. The casings B are prefl erahly made in the form of castings and may be suitably cored on their outersides, as indicated at 17-17, in order to lessen the i weight. At its inner end-that' is, the end f remote from the corresponding mainfollower 15 or 16 each casing B is recessed on opposite sides, as indicated at 18 1 for p a distance equal to the sum of the thickness of one of the intermediatefollowers C and the permissible compression, stroke of the mechanism. Said recesses 18 are defined on the edges thereof by radiallyextending flat faces. as indicated best at 20 -20 in Figure 1 2. I erably made in the form of'a' casting andis of generallycircular form, as shown at 21 in Figure 4:. Formed ondiametrically disposed sides of the circular section or disk portion of each follower C are laterally ex tended flanged sections 22+-22Q "The outer edges of said flanged sections 22, as'indicatedat 2323, are adaptedto extend sub- Each intermediate follower C'is pref stantially flush with the corresponding outer surfaces of the walls'of the casings B;- and the upper and lower edges of the flanged sectionsQiZ are formed on inclines with flat surfaces as indicated at 24--24,to correspond with the inclined or'bevele'd edges 20 of the casings B sothat the inter:

mediate followers are adapted respect to the casings; 1

The parts are assembled as best shown in Figure 1 of the drawingthat is, with one casing B and its directly actuated intermediate follower C disposed at an an le of 90'with respect to the other casing and to slide with its corresponding directly actuated. intermediate follower C. In this manner, one casing B will directly engage the flanges 22 of one intermediate follower C and the latter will slide within the recesses 18 of the other casing B. As is apparent from an inspection of Figure 1, upon relative approach of the main followers 15 and 16, the intermediate followers C will move correspondingly, thus simultaneously compress-' ing the tandem springs AA without the use of any tandem yoke or intermediate thimble.

The type of springs used in tandem gears are ordinarily approximately eight inches inoutside diameter. Consequently, to avoid any waste of metal the casings B are made as small as possible so as to be able to receive the springs therewithin but without allowing the latter any appreciable amount of lateral play within the casings. The ordinary spacing between draft sills is 12 1 so that, with the type of tandem shock ab; sorbingmechanism shown. there is a difference of approximately 33, between the overall width of the casings B and the distance between the draft sills. In order to prevent the casings and springs, and intermediate followers associated therewith, from shifting out of the center line of the mechanism when ordinary flat followers are employed-such as shown at 15 and 16 of the drawing, I employ the following means.

Each of the main followers 15 and 16 is recessed on its outer side. as indicated at 30., to form a socket for the nut 31 of one of the bolts E, the shank of the bolt pass ing through a suitable centrally disposed perforation 32 in the main follower. The intermediate followers C are centrally apertured with cylindrical openings, as indicated at 33, so as to allow the column member to extend therethrough. The column member D is of hollow cylindrical form.

closed at its. ends, except that the latter are apertured. as indicated at 34;, to accommodate the shanks of the bolts E. The heads of the bolts E engage within the column member D against the inner faces ofthe end walls thereof. To allow for the assembly ,of the bolts E with the column member D, the latter is formed with an elongated recess 85 onone side thereof I through which the bolts E are first inserted and then; worked through the end walls of the member D. The diameter of the column member D is made slightly less than the inside diameter of the inner coils of the springs A, so that said springs are centered by said column member, will be understood. .\lso. the intermediate follow ers C will be centered by said column member D.

. The over-all length of the column member D is made equal to the difference between the normal distance between the main followers and the allowable compression stroke of the mechanism, so that, upon full compression of the mechanism, the column member D will have the ends thereof engaged with the main front and rear followers 15 and 1G simultaneously with the engageiiient of the intermediate followers C with the ends of the recesses 18 of the corresponding opposed casings B. By tightening the nuts on the bolts, it is evident that the over-all normal length of the mechanism may be properly determined and maintained and th springs maintained under an. initial. compression. The column member D being centered with respect to the main followers 15 and 16, it is obvious that the casings Pi. intermediate followers C and springs will always be maintained in central position, thus positively preventing the shock absorbing mechanism proper from working to one side nearer one draft sill than the other.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim 1. In a tandem shock absorbing mechzr nism, the combination with frontand rear main followers; of two alined and relatively movable casings, each in engagement at its outer end with a main follower; tandem ar ranged shock absorbing unitswithin said casing; a pair of centrally disposed, detachable, intermediate followers interposed between said shock absorbing units, each of said intermediate followers being engaged by one of the casings and slidable with re spcct to the other casing, each casing being slotted at its inner end to accommodate one of said followers; and means, adjustable as to length, attached at one end to one main follower and at the other end to the other main follower, said means extending between said main followers, through thecenters of the shock absorbing units and through the intermediate followers. I

2. In a tandem shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with front and rear main followers; of two alined and relatively movable casings, each casing being in engagement at its outer end with a main follower; tandem arranged shock absorbing units within said casings; a pair of centrally disposed, detachable, intermediate followers interposed betweenthe shock absorbing units, each of said intermediate followers being engaged by one of the casings and slidable within the othercasing, each of said intermediate followers being of disk-like form having diametrically disposed flanges,

at its inner end to accommodate one of said followers; and means, adjustable as to length, attached at one end to one main follower and at the other end to the other main follower, said means extending between said main followers, through the centers of the shock absorbing units and through the intermediate followers.

3. In a tandem draft gear, the combination with front and rear main followers; of alined, partially telescoped casings interposed between said followers; tandem arranged springs, one within each casing, each spring hearing at its outer end upon one of said main followers; a pair of intermediate followers detachable with respect to said casings, each intermediate follower engaging the inner end of one of said springs and adapted to be directly actuated by one of said casings, each intermediate follower being slida ble with respect to that casing within which is disposed the spring in contact with said intermediate follower, each casing being slotted at its inner end to accommodate the sliding movement of an intermediate follower; and means for retaining all of said parts in assembled relation and of predetermined over-all length, said means extending between the main followers and attached at its ends thereto, said means extending centrally through the springs and through the intermediate followers.

l. In a tandem shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with front and rear main followers; of two alined and relatively movable casings interposed between said followers; tandem arranged springs within said casings; a pair of centrally disposed detachable intermediate followers interposed between said springs, each intermediate follower being engaged by one of the casings and slidable within the other casing, each casing being slotted at its inner end to accommodate one of said followers; and a centrally disposed column member extending through said intermediate followers and within the tandem springs, the over-all length of said column member correspond ing to the predetermined distance between the main followers at the end of the compression stroke.

5. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with draft sills having front and rear stop lugs thereon; of front and rear main followers slidable lengthwise of the sills and adapted to be guided thereby and main tained centrally; alined, partially telescoped casings interposed between said main followers, the over-all width of said casings being appreciably less than the space between the draft sills; tandem arranged springs, one within each casing, each spring bearing at its outer end upon one of said main followers; a pair of intermediate followers detachable with respect to said casings, each of said intermediate followers engaging the inner end of one of said springs and adapted to be directly actuated by one of said casings, each of said intermediate followers be ing slidable with respect to that casing within which is disposed the spring in contact with said intermediate follower; and means for maintaining said casings, springs and intermediate followers centered with respect to the draft sills, said means including a member extending centrally through the intermediate followers and upon which the latter are slidable, said member extending centrally through the springs, and devices attached to the main front and rear followers for maintaining the central alinement of said member with respect to the main followers.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of June, 1921.

MANUEL J. MENDEZ.

Witnesses:

META SCHMIDT, JOSEPH HARRIS. 

